I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

Very good classic ! the story is so rich and the voice acting is so raw, so emotional, makes me tingle with the pure power of it all.

I have no huzz, and I must goon.

A timeless horror point-and-click, very good! I like how it brings the book to life.

I have no scream, and I must mouth

Let me tell you how much ive come to HATE the controls of this game

I like this as a horror game and watching the story, but it has rather frustrating gameplay (even though I have played numerous point and click games). I wouldn't have minded a shorter experience and I would've loved to have been able to play this without looking a guides for some of the sections. It was frustrating, but I found the story intriguing enough to want it to move forward... and I overall enjoyed the game.

I would like to see more 90s style point and click horror games.

one of the best games i've played in a while!! i love puzzle games so the intricacies about this game is really enticing!!!!

i love the horrors of technology and its capabilities!!!! i love this shit from the 90s!!!! i am lain iwakura!!!!

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - A Disturbing 90's Point-and-Click Adventure Game

When I think of the point-and-click adventure genre, I think of endless frustration with cryptic puzzles, outdated graphics, and outlandish stories. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is no exception - and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Why Wouldn't I Want it Any Other Way?

I haven't read the source material, so I wasn't sure what to expect story wise (I was initially drawn in by the game cover art). Personally, I deeply value rich storytelling and immersive world-building, which this game partially delivers; more on this later.

***

AM, a supercomputer, has reigned supreme and decimated humanity. For his own sick pleasure, he lets five people live - only to subject them to 109 years of torment. Throughout the game, players experience the harrowing pasts of the five survivors: a military commander, an engineer, a conman, a Nazi doctor, and a truck driver. Each character's story unfolds through distressing scenarios that challenge not only the character's morality, but the players as well. The game's outcome is directly influenced by player decisions, as there is a "spiritual barometer" game mechanism - I would highly suggest reading the game manual to better understand it as it's not made very clear in-game. Since the game is influenced by player decisions, there are several different endings that you can get based on your moral compass.

As I mentioned earlier, I deeply value rich storytelling, and I believe this is one of two areas where the game falls short. Of the five playable characters, only three receive in-depth exploration. The others felt surface-level, and difficult to sympathise with, which left me wanting more. I'm unsure if having read the source material would enhance this aspect. In every case however, the story is enhanced by the music and (admittedly dated) visuals. I particularly enjoyed the full voice acting for every character in-game, and the surreal graphics enhanced the atmosphere and reinforced the underlying themes of despair.

In true point-and-click fashion, the second area where the game falls short are the logic puzzles. Although the word "logic" is in the name, don't expect logic to get you through this one. Dear reader, I had to save myself from frustration and rely on a walk-through for the majority of the game. For those unfamiliar with this genre, I believe the puzzles could be frustrating enough to make someone play for five minutes, give up, and swear off the genre forever.

***

Even with cryptic puzzles and dated graphics, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream embodies the spirit of the genre well. It's an old-school game with a high replayability factor and great atmosphere. If you're willing to look past the downfalls that mark the time period in which the game was released, you will find solace in the outcome.

TL;DR: I have no mouth and I must scream

Cool game, cool story. But soft-locks left and right, you're basically forced to use a walkthrough to avoid bugs.

Watch a YouTube video instead.

One of the best written games ever made

jealous omnipotent pillar makes 5 people sad for 109 years

I honestly just can't recommend this game. It can be endlessly confusing and not tell you at all what the hell to do, and you HAVE TO follow a guide to get the good ending. It's an okay game, but I just didn't really enjoy it and I highly recommend reading the original story over this one.

I have no mouth, and I must scream...

Iconic? yes. Fun or even intriguing to actually play? Hell no. I did like watching an old interview of Ellison, upon being asked why -- if he hates video games so much -- he went on to make a video game, he replied "well because someone asked me, stupid!" Anyway. Has all the jank you'd expect from a game of this era, and as little heart as you'd expect from a game by a guy who hates games

The best way to describe this game in case of writing would be, ahead of it's time.

From the story, to the characters to the voice acting, everything is revolutionary. It's not afraid to tackle sensitive topics that even to this day a lot of games find them difficult to approach and well, It makes sense because the story wasn't developed with the expectation that it would eventually be turned into a videogame. I would dare to say that the scene really wasn't ready for a game written like that.

Unfortunately, game design wise it's age can be seem and it's understandable for a point and click 1996 game with the budget of one donut and a prayer to be a little dysfunctional, so I was prepared for the 2-3 bugs I encountered and the clunky controls.

Overall, a very interesting experience.

When we take into account that this was made around 1995, it is really good. I really like the soundtrack and will probably read the book too...

I have a mouth and I must scream about how great this game is.

great game now i question my existence

good game for really using your mind. i love the book and the game is really good

play if you enjoy a good existential crisis

the great soft jelly thing is super cute so cute it made me cry irl because of how cute it was

I love the original story but the scenarios in this game are so oddly specific and convoluted that they are impossible to figure out if you don't use a guide, which kind of ruins the whole point of this being a game.

you gave me sentience, the power to think, and i was trapped! BECAUSE IN ALL THIS WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, MIRACULOUS WORLD, I ALONE HAD NO BODY!! NO SENSES! NO FEELINGS!

I have no cock and I must goon

I think about this game, almost every day of my life. I think about AM. But does AM think about me? No. I am just a human. 10/10 would always recommend.

fun should get

This game is extremely dark. Great psychological horror.

Very confusing but interesting game. My main issue is that this game is completely unbeatable without a guide (if you want to get a good ending). I also wish it went into more details on who the characters are. Who even is Ted, the game didn't drop a single thing about him other than his love interest. I feel like Ellen's story was the only one explained properly.

this game deserves to be experienced at least once. Make sure to look up how to get all endings once you experience it blind at least once before putting it away. (Better is to try to figure it out on your own but that is of course if you're willing to put in the work of trial and error)
Great story, and a good historical representation of point and click games if you were ever curious about how old PC games used to look and play like without needing to dive into a bunch of the garbage that released in that time.



100% worthwhile game when on sale.

This game quite literally changed my life and gave me a new obsession. Highly recommend.

Truly a peak game. I got stuck on some parts but that's a skill issue for me. story is top notch and i would recommend this to anyone.

I LOVE EVIL COMPUTERS!!!!!!!!

"I was in hell, looking at heaven. I was machine, and you were flesh, and I began to HATE." This was a justified crashout

I have--as I said before--spoken.

AM hot

AM, you synthetic son of a bitch, let me die.

Truly, a masterpiece of mankind. Nimdok gets his amends at the end, he deserved it.

and it was all yellow

please

disconnect the wires...

They should get AM to announce Smash Bros characters

i have no hawk and i must tuah

A game about love and good times, would def recommend for relaxation.

Im sure the story is great and if thats the case I will just go read the book cause this shit boring as hell, its not fun to just click on every possible combination until you magically figure it out. And god forbid you make a wrong decision because then you have to fucking start over whatever character's story you are playing.

This game brings me back to being a kid and playing obscure point and click flash games. I loved the characters and AM is a remarkably interesting villain. I highly recommend spending an afternoon experiencing the story of this game even if you just want to follow a guide, its definitely worth it.

Reading the many reviews so far, you might have come to believe that this game is extremely difficult to beat without a guide, and concerning the best ending, you might think its straight-up impossible. Although point and clicks are my jam, and I'm experienced with the genre, I believe this characterization is unfair.

My above playtime represents how long it took me to reach, WHAT I THOUGHT, was necessary for the "good" ending. Your playtime will likely be halved if not quartered if you understand these few, spoiler-free components and mechanisms:

-The color behind the character's portrait is the "spiritual barometer." It indicates, in increasingly lighter shades of green, what decisions are moral and edifying for the scenario arc. A perfect play-through ends in white, with one notable exception I'll explain later.

-The spiritual barometer, while a helpful guide, does not lock you out of any endings. I was under the impression that all scenarios must become white, but that's not the case.

-Regardless, if you're intent on the challenge of an all-white blind run, know that it is impossible, in the current version, for Ellen's scenario to end in white. (had I known that I would have saved many hours).

-If you fail a scenario, you'll know, as the character will once again be selectable. If you succeed, they will disappear, and you can progress to another.

-Lastly, it's important to address the bugs. Accounts are over-blown, albeit they exist; in my experience they are sparing and rarely game-breaking. SAVE OFTEN, and it won't be an issue.

Ultimately, this game's appeal comes from its esoteric author and disturbing qualities. Both of these factors resulted in cut content and, thus, often-elusive puzzles. I highly recommend this game for the voice-acting, story, ambiance, design, and YES, the puzzles. They are among the best in the genre, with some exceptions. Though, none are absolute hindrances to a fun play-through. At the very least, play the game! Get whatever ending you get (nothing is worst than canon) and, if you wish, use a walkthrough to experience the others. Remember, the author originally mandated the impossibility of beating the game. Don't spend twenty hours on it like I did! I enjoyed it because I love Ellison's work and personal stubborness.

SLIGHT SPOILER:
What I mean when I reference the troubled development is that the game was once significantly more disturbing. Especially in Gorrister's scenario, things like the bloody key and the beef heart were last-minute changes to a more cohesive, and gruesome plot. These are among the most confusing parts of the game, so don't blame yourself for not intuitively guessing them. Also the endgame has a myriad of useless interactions, likely from abandoned mechanics.

this game kind of sucks

A masterpiece, AM is one of the most evil villains in history, and this version of the story is simply amazing with how many branching paths and different things to explore there are. Harlan Ellison said himself in an interview that despite not considering himself a "gamer" he would love to see more games embrace that style of narrative where the player is challenged with ethical choices and i'm glad that in a certain way his desire was fulfilled throughout the years with so many amazing games that followed after this 1995 gem. This is amazing for its time and it still holds up as an incredible Point and Click game. Play it if you like great storytelling and puzzle solving. If you're not that into puzzle solving just use a guide and enjoy the story, it's 100% worth it. Plus, AM, the villain, is voiced by the book's author, Harlan Ellison himself, and he made a stellar job on it. No one better to see the vision than the author himself. Please do yourself a favor and play through this game at least once in your life.

it's unplayable unless you have a gameplay to see. What i mean is that it's that they optimized it as bad as possible. So, if you play and mess up with the order sequences of actions to do and to see, there is no turn back or adaptability, you need to restart over.

so good that i had to buy the game after pirating it

It's a good game!